1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to exercise devices, such as inflated exercise balls and half-balls, that are used as body support surfaces while exercising. More particularly, the present invention relates to support structures used to selectively elevate such exercise balls and half-balls to various heights, and/or significantly stabilize exercise balls and half-balls when positioned with the inflatable dome side facing down. The present invention also relates to exercise weights that can be selectively filled with water.
2. Prior Art Description
Exercise trainers have discovered that there are many benefits that can be obtained by having a person support his/her body upon a large inflated ball while performing certain exercises. The inflated ball provides a soft rounded surface that prevents contact injuries. Furthermore, having a person balance his/her weight upon the curved surface causes that person to flex and exercise a larger variety of muscle groups. As such, certain exercises become more effective.
Large diameter exercise balls provide a wide surface upon which a person can easily rest his/her body. However, large diameter exercise balls can often be too high and too unstable to use for may types of exercises. Conversely, small diameter round exercise balls can support the body at a more comfortable height. However, small diameter balls do not provide a large enough area to safely and comfortably support a user's body and are also too unstable for many exercises. To eliminate the disadvantages of both large diameter exercise balls and small diameter exercise balls, half-ball assemblies have been developed in the exercise industry. Half-ball assemblies provide a large inflatable half-ball. The inflated half-ball provides the same support to a person as does a large diameter ball, since it has an inflatable dome the same diameter as the full ball. However, since only a half-ball is provided, the support provided is only half as high and mimics the height of a small diameter ball but the inflatable half-ball is more stable making it suitable for many more exercises. A prominent half-ball assembly being commercially sold is the BOSU® balance trainer created by Bosu Fitness LLC of San Diego, Calif.
Half-ball assemblies can also be used with the inflatable dome side facing down. In this orientation, the half-ball assembly is more unstable than it is with the dome side facing up. Although half-ball assemblies enable users to engage in many exercises, the utility of half-ball assemblies can be significantly increased for a wider group of people when they can be safely elevated and/or significantly stabilized when the dome side faces down.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0017937 to Guarrasi, entitled Training Device For Balance Agility And Proprioception, a device is disclosed where a half-ball assembly can be positioned atop stacked risers in order to change the elevation of the half-ball assembly. However, the risers provided merely stack atop one another and do not mechanically engage either the adjacent risers or the half-ball assembly. The consequence is that the half-ball assembly can easily be shifted and dislodged off the risers during exercise. As a result, the riser and the base of the half-ball assembly must be made particularly wide in relation to the diameter of the half-ball assembly. The use of a wide base and a wide riser mandates that a person cannot step particularly close to the half-ball assembly while exercising. This limits the number of exercises that can be comfortably performed on the assembly.
A need therefore exists for a half-ball assembly that has the ability to be selectively elevated, yet remains highly stable when in an elevated condition when the dome side is facing up. A need also exists for a half-ball assembly that mechanically engages its supports to create a stable structure that can have a small width in relation to the elevated height of the half-ball structure. A need also exists for a half-ball assembly that can be significantly stabilized when the dome side faces down. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.